Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

The big move this week is Adrian Bland, senior partner of Eversheds' Birmingham office for the past six years, who will go - after a period of garden leave - to Wragge & Co as group leader of the property team with a brief to develop the practice.

Wragge & Co is aiming to be the number one full-service firm to the property industry by 2006.

Mr Bland will also sit on the firm's ten-strong management committee.

A statement from Eversheds said Mr Bland had turned down an offer to move to a key role in its London office and on the firm's executive, partly because he wanted to remain in Birmingham.

Eversheds said it will not appoint another senior partner in Birmingham.

Another departure from Eversheds, corporate lawyer Julia Brown, has helped Edwards Geldard celebrate moving into new offices in Derby.

She joins as a partner along with Colin Dean from City firm Masons, who moves as construction team leader.

Steve Matthews has been appointed managing partner at Shropshire crime firm Matthews.

Cambridge-based Few & Kester has promoted Michael Frape (litigation) and Magnus McManus (property) to partner.

Slough-based Harris Cartwright has brought in commercial property partner Justin Neal from Henley firm Conway & Co.

In London, charities specialist Jean Dollimore has joined Hempsons as a partner from RadcliffesLeBrasseur.

KSB Law has a new partner and head of employment after bringing in Allison Grant from Seddons, where she held the same position.

The London office of US firm Shearman & Sterling now has four partners after George Casey (US mergers and acquisitions) and Barney Reynolds (head of the UK financial regulatory and funds management practice) were promoted.

Family partner Graham Coy has joined Surrey-based Mundays from Ormerods in Croydon.

In Paris, Herbert Smith has a new head of intellectual property and technology after recruiting Alexandra Neri from Thomas & Associs, along with her team of three French avocats and two paralegals.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

In addition to the two new partners, Edwards Geldard has several other new lawyers in its Derby office: senior employment associate Tina Attenborough (from Eversheds); corporate assistant Chris Tang (from Irwin Mitchell); commercial property assistants Elizabeth Coates (from Freethcartwright) and newly qualified Liz Murphy, and newly qualified commercial utilities solicitor David Owen.

Corporate assistant Philip Round joins Birmingham firm Gateley Wareing from Pinsent Curtis Biddle.

Manchester's Express Solicitors has recruited personal injury assistant Hasan Qamruddin from Harris Cartwright in Slough.

Leaving Manchester is corporate/commercial solicitor Scott Sands, who has joined Napthens in Preston.

Across the Pennines, the York office of Rollits has brought in two new lawyers from Leeds for its commercial property team: senior solicitor Douglas Oliver from Walker Charlesworth & Foster, and solicitor Simon Williams from Walker Morris.

In Newcastle, corporate and employment specialist Chris Welch has moved to Sinton & Co as an associate from Watson Burton, where he was a partner and founded the employment team.

The London office of Manchester-based Halliwell Landau has added employment and pensions assistant Elena Cooper from home counties practice Taylor Walton.

London-based Bindman & Partners has brought in Louise Coubrough as a family assistant.

She was previously a partner at north London firm Hodge Jones & Allen.

Joining the new partner in the family department of Surrey firm Mundays are assistants Veronica Gilmour from New Malden firm Pearson Maddin and Sarah Duckworth from Crellins in Weybridge, where she was a partner.

OTHERS

Fiona Hughes has joined Leeds & Holbeck Building Society as an assistant solicitor.

She was previously at London firm Rosling King, where she specialised in property litigation.

West country firm Clarke Willmott & Clarke has added barrister Helen Hamilton to its dispute resolution team.

She joins from insurance broker Aon.

She will be part of Clarke's team acting for Equitable Life claimants.

Nottingham firm Fraser Brown has appointed its first chief executive officer.

Andy Hodges was previously its practice manager.

Pamela Castle, former head of environmental law at City firm CMS Cameron McKenna, has been named chairman of the Environmental Law Foundation.

Ms Castle, who is also co-chairwoman of the London Sustainable Development Commission, replaces Stephen Hockman QC.